Boat-launching device.



A. E51 LUCKHURST.

BOAT LAUN'CHING DEVICE. APPLICATION men MAY 6. me.

1,205,766. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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BOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1916.

1,205,766. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

ALLEN E. J. LUCKHURST, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

BOAT-LAUNGI-IING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed May 6, 1916. Serial No. 95,847.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN E. J. LUCK- nURsr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Boat-Launching Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for launching life boats from ships; and is designed as an improvement on the boat launching device shown in my application for patent filed October 20, 1915, Serial No. 56,886. In that application the shaft for rotating the davit passed through an eye in a block pivotally held on a standard. In practice it has been found that when a ship is under great stress, as in a heavy seaway, the shaft was liable to bind sufiiciently to make the rotation of the davit difiicult.

It is the purpose of my present invention to eliminate this difficulty.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1, is a plan view of a portion of the deck of a ship, with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the davit, gearing, and hoist,-the portion of the deck shown being in section; Fig. 3, is an elevation of the standard, and eyeblock, partly in section; Fig. 4, is a plan view of the davit gearing and inclosing casing,-a part of the latter being broken away; and, Fig. 5, is a sectional view of the casing with the gearing in elevation in full lines, the shafts being in section.

In the accompanying drawing like numerals of reference refer to the same parts in each of the views.

In practice I mount on the davit 6, of the ship, my device which is designed to quickly launch a life boat, as 7, or similar device, in a certain and safe manner.

The gearing comprises a worm gear 8, fixed on the clavit of the ship by bolts 9, and set screws 10, if desired. The worm gear has hubs 11, on which may be mounted the casing 12, and suitable packing 13, as Babbitt metal, may be used at the top and bottom to make a water-tight, rotatable joint.

The casing is preferably composed of a central part 14, semi-cylindrical part 15, clamped to the part 14:, with bolts 16; and a part 17, secured to the part 14, with bolts 18. The parts 1 1, and 17, of the casing form bearings for the shaft 19, carrying the worm 20, in mesh with the worm gear 8, and carcasing, and carries a crank 21, at its outer end whereby the shaft 23, may be rotated, and through it the davit. In my former application, this operating shaft passed through the eyelet on the standard; but I eliminate the objectionable feature of such a construction by providing a stub shaft 25, one end of which is fixed in the casing, as shown, and the other end is passed through the elongated slot 26, in the eyeblock 27, which is preferably loosely mounted on the standard 28, and held in a rotatable manner with a detachable pin 29. By this construction it does not make any difference in the rotation of the shaft 22, even if the shaft 25, should become bound in the slot 26; and it makes no particular difference, either, if the part 27, should be an integral part of the standard 28, instead of being pivotally mounted thereon since the binding of the shaft 25, is immaterial. I loosely mount the part 27, on the standard for the purpose of readily connecting and disconnecting.

In operating the falls, I use a winch, or hoist 30, as in my former application, which is provided with an inwardly, and upwardly inclined crank shaft 31, while the hoist carries a pair of drum ends 32, at each side, through which the respective ropes 33, may pass from the falls through the keepers 3%.

The construction and operation of the foregoing device will be readily understood when taken in connection with the accom panying drawings. p

As the worm gear 8, is fixed on the davit, and carries the casing in a manner whereby the davit and gear is free to rotate within the casing, and as the casing is held against rotation by the shaft 25, and standard 28; when the crank shaft 22, is rotated the casing is held in a substantially firm manner while the davit is being rotated. Thus the boat is carried in or out, as desired; and the whole operation is carried outwithout the risk of loss of life from hurling a seaman overboard owing to the lurching of the ship. Both the davit gearing and the hoist are operated from safe points of advantage in any heavy sea.

In practice I find I can not only launch a life boat more safely than heretofore has been accomplished, but in much less time. I do this, too, without the slightest possibility of binding any of the operative parts. 7

It will thus be seen I have provided a boat launching devicethat is safe, speedy, and certain in its operation.

I claim:

1. In a boat launching device, gearing mounted on the davit adapted to rotate the same, means carried by said davit to operate said gearing, and means independently of any operating parts to hold said operating means in fixed relation'to the ship.

2. In a boat launching device, a worm gear removably fixed on the davit, a casing carried by said worm gear, a worm within the casin and operating mechanism associated with said worm, and means to hold said casing against rotation independently of said operating mechanism.

3. In a boat launching device, a worm gear removably fixed on the davit, a casing carried thereby, gearing carried by said casing in operative connection with said gear, means to operate said gearing, and means to hold said casing against rotation inclependently of said operating means.

4. In a boat launching device, a worm gear removably fixed on the davit, a'casing removably mounted on said gear, and carried thereby, a worm in said casing in operative connection with said gear, means to operate said worm from the deck of the ship, and means to hold said casing against rotation independently of the worm-operating means. I

5. In a boat launching device, a worm gear removably fixed on the davit, a removable, water-tight casing carried by said gear, a worm in mesh with said gear, gearing carried by said casing in operative relation with said worm, a shaft passing through said casing and adapted to operate said gearing, and means to hold said casing against rotation, said holding means being independent of said shaft.

' 6. In a boat launching device, operative (Iopies of this patent may be obtained for mechanism mounted on the davit, a casing carried by said mechanism, a stub shaft fixed in said casing. and a fixed part on the ship independently of said davit in engagement with said shaft.

7. In a boat launching device, a worm gear consisting of two parts bolted together and fixed on the davit, said arts combined having a hub at each end, a casing composed of several parts bolted together, and rotatably mounted on said hubs in a water-tight manner, a short shaft carried by said casing and having a worm in mesh with said wori'n gear and also carrying a spur gear, a shaft carried by said-casing'and having a pinion thereon in mesh with said spur gear the opposite end of saidshaft projecting through the casing and provided with a crank, a stub shaft fixed in said casing, and a standard on the deck of the ship in en'- gagement with said stub shaft whereby said casing is held against rotation.

S. In a boat launching device, operative mechanism removably mounted on the davit, a casing carried by said mechanism, a stub shaft fixed in said casing, a standard mount ed on the deck of the ship, a rotatable eyeblock mounted on said standard, the end of said stub shaft passing through said block, for the purposeset forth.

9. A boat launching device comprising removable gearing mounted on the davit, a removable casing mounted in a water-tight manner on said davit, a crank shaft passing from said casing inward from the side of the ship, said shaft being in operative connection with said gearing, a stub shaft fixed in said casing and projecting over the deck of the ship, a standard. having an eye through which said stub shaft loosely passes, and a hoist adapted to operate the falls, said hoist having the operative shaft directed inwardly and upwardly from the side of the ship, for the purpose-set forth.

Dated this 5th day of May, 1916.

ALLEN E. J. LUGKHURST.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

